WASHINGTON TALK

WASHINGTON TALK; Bush and Jackson Seek Common Ground

By BERNARD WEINRAUB, Special to the New York Times

Published: December 1, 1988

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30—
President-elect Bush met with the Rev. Jesse Jackson today and, borrowing one of the civil rights leader's campaign slogans, said he shared ''common ground'' with Mr. Jackson and would seek his suggestions after moving into the Oval Office.

Mr. Bush also conferred with Norman R. Augustine, president and chief operating officer of the Martin Marietta Corporation. The private meeting, which was attended by Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady, raised speculation that Mr. Augustine had been offered a senior job at the Pentagon. Although former Senator John G. Tower of Texas remains the leading contender for Secretary of Defense, Mr. Augustine has been mentioned as a possible choice for that job or for the deputy's post under Mr. Tower.

Mr. Jackson said after the 90-minute luncheon that he and Mr. Bush had discussed a range of issues, including domestic policy, the civil rights leader's opposition to the State Department decision to bar Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, from entering the United States, and the possible parole of James Earl Ray, who is serving a 99-year prison term for assassinating the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. 'A Very Bad Signal'

''I asked him not to let him go,'' Mr. Jackson said in an interview. ''He said he thought the release of James Earl Ray would be a very bad signal for the nation. He has contacted the Justice Department to get a reading on the case.''

Mr. Jackson said he also protested the Bush campaign's television advertisements in the Presidential campaign about the furlough of Willie Horton, a convicted murderer. ''The Vice President said it was not his intent to focus on the racial issue, but to focus on the furlough issue,'' Mr. Jackson said.

Over all, Mr. Jackson spoke warmly about Mr. Bush's efforts to ''keep the lines of communication open'' and said that ''it is not important that we agree all the time,'' but that it ''is important that we communicate.''

He added: ''Reagan had a closed door policy for eight years. You couldn't get an audience with him.''

The President-elect has begun to try to heal wounds with Republican rivals like Bob Dole, his party's Senate leader, as well as Democrats like Mr. Jackson and Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts, whom he defeated in the Presidential election. Mr. Bush plans to meet Mr. Dukakis on Friday.

In the campaign, Mr. Bush and Mr. Jackson engaged in some harsh attacks on each other. Mr. Bush called Mr. Jackson a ''hustler from Chicago,'' and Mr. Jackson said the Bush campaign was provoking racial fears.

But today Mr. Bush said: ''The campaign is over. I have no arguments with the way Reverend Jackson conducted himself toward me, and I hope it's the same with him on a personal basis.''

''There will be times in my Presidency when I will ask for his suggestions,'' Mr. Bush said. ''He has a lot of very good ideas that are of keen interest to our country.'' Mr. Bush said that his relationship with Mr. Jackson ''transcends politics'' and that ''there's some common ground here.''

Mr. Jackson was accompanied to his luncheon with the Vice President by three of his children, Jesse Jr., Jonathan and Santita. The three Jackson children ate lunch separately with one of Mr. Bush's sons, George Jr. Mr. Bush's meeting with Mr. Augustine, meanwhile, riveted attention on the issue of who will be Secretary of Defense. Mr. Bush brushed aside questions about disagreements among his staff about the possible appointment of Mr. Tower as Defense Secretary. ''Stay tuned,'' the President-elect said, adding that ''all is tranquil'' within his staff. Consideration of Rumsfeld

Nonetheless, one Republican said that the Bush transition team had asked Tuesday for further financial documents from Donald H. Rumsfeld, who was a Defense Secretary in the Ford Administration, and that Mr. Rumsfeld's name was under active consideration. Mr. Augustine was also believed to be a serious candidate for the job, although transition officials insisted that Mr. Bush still favored Mr. Tower, a long-time friend.

One Bush aide said that the President-elect's meeting with Mr. Augustine, a former Under Secretary of the Army, was to discuss military procurement issues, and that it was unrelated to a Defense job.

Meanwhile, as numerous names arose for top jobs in the Bush Administration, the President-elect's chief recruiter, Chase Untermeyer, said that ''it may take longer to fill positions in this Administration than ever before'' because of extensive financial and security clearances.

Mr. Untermeyer also said there was a ''sensitivity'' on the part of Mr. Bush to appoint women and members of minority groups to high-level jobs in the Administration. So far, Mr. Bush's major appointments have been white men.

Mr. Untermeyer said that Mr. Bush's ''constant theme'' at meetings was, 'Where are the blacks, where are the Hispanics, where are the women?''' Mr. Untermeyer said names of minority members and women had been sent to Mr. Bush for senior jobs, ''but he wants more.'' He added that there would be more women and minorities in the Bush Administratiion than in the Reagan Administratrion.

Meanwhile, transition aides said that among those under consideration for key jobs was Samuel K. Skinner, chairman of the board of directors of the Northern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority, as a possible Transportation Secretary. Mr. Skinner was Illinois campaign director for Mr. Bush in the Presidential campaign.

Sources said that Senator Daniel J. Evans, a Washington State Republican who did seek re-election this year, was a strong contender for Interior Secretary. Representative Bill Gradison, an Ohio Republican who is chairman of the health panel of the Ways and Means Committee, is cited by transition sources as a key contender for Secretary of Health and Human Services.